Air operated projectile firing apparatus



March 31, 1970 R. w. JOYCE: ETAL 3,503,299

AIR OPERATED PROJECTILE FIRING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1966 March 31, 1970 R. w. JOYCE ETAI- 3,593,299

AIR OPERATED PROJECTILE FIRING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 30, 1966 INVENTOR'.

gawd/ij. )72% 255i Nw Qn Aw WN W\%\\ w\ KR N QQ NN QN .-MMWWHI March 31, 1970 R, W, JOYCE ETAL 3,503,299

AIR OPERATED PROJECTILE FIRING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 )f CZ s@ @ab if @PNE/ 4,

United States Patent O 3,503,299 AIR OPERATED PROJECTILE FIRING APPARATUS Ronald Wayne Joyce, Springdale, Eugene Elton Blllingslea, Rogers, and Paul Oliver Hurley, Springdale, Ark., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Vlctor Comptometer Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 598,086 Int. Cl. F41f 17/06 U.S. Cl. 89-7 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is herein disclosed a single shot firearm adapted to fire caseless ammunition from a firing chamber formed in the rear of the barrel by surface contact with high temperature -air delivered from anaxially movable air compression cylinder slidably mounted in a guide housing alnd operable by a lever connected through an elongated s ot.

This invention relates to a shoulder type, single shot, firearm adapted to fire caseless ammunition of the type comprising a projectile portion and a propellant portion ignltable by surface contact with high temperature air as described in detail in copending application Ser. No. 473,556 filed July 7, 1965, for Air Operated Projectile Firing Apparatus, the disclosure of which is specifically incorporated herein by reference.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a new and improved gun of the aforementioned type comprising:

(1) Barrell means having a bore through which the projectile is fired after ignition of the propellant;

(2) Ammunition holding means at the rear of the barrel means to hold the ammunition in a firing position;

(3) An elongated guide housing extending rearwardly from the barrel means and having a generally cylindrical portion and a guide slot extending substantially longitudinally therealong;

(4) A loading slot formed in the guide housing and providing access to the ammunition holding means to in- Sert or remove ammunition;

(5) An air compression cylinder having an outside di- `ameter substantially corresponding to the inside diameter of the guide housing and being slidably mounted in the lguide housing for reciprocable movement between a firing position, adjacent the rear end of the barrel means and covering the loading slot, and a loading position spaced rearwardly from the rear end of the barrel means and rearwardly of and opening the loading slot;

(6) Breech means attached to the front of the air compression cylinder, and being movable therewith, and connecting barrel means to the air compression cylinder, and being operative in the firing position to define a firing chamber surrounding the propellant;

(7) Air delivery passage means in the breech means connecting the firing chamber to the air compression cylinder, valve means in the passage means to control flow lbetween the firing chamber and the air compression cylinder;

(8) Piston means slidably mounted in the air compression cylinder for reciprocable movement between a retracted cocked position spaced rearwardly of the breech means to define a variable volume air ch-amber and an extended firing position located adjacent the breech means;

(9) Piston rod means attached to the piston means and extlnding rearwardly therefrom and reciprocable there- Wit (10) Piston driving spring means in abutting engagement with the piston means and being compressible as the piston means and the rod means are moved tothe retracted 3,503,299 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 cocked position and being effective in the retracted cocked position to drive the piston means and the rod means to the extended firing position;

(11) Sear means having a projection enga-geafble with a notched portion of the rod means to releasa'bly hold the rod means and the piston means in the retracted cocked position;

(12) Trigger means operatively connected to the sear means for causing movement of the sear means between the latched position and the unlatched position;

(13) Cocking means movable from a retracted firing position to an extended cocking position and back to the retracted firing position;

(14) Linkage means connecting the cocking means to the air compression cylinder through the guide slot move the air compression cylinder from the firing position to the loading position and effective by engagement of the air compression cylinder with the piston means to move the piston means and the piston rod means from the extended firing position to the retracted cocked position during movement of the cocking means from the retracted firing position to the extended cocking position, the linkage means being effective to move the air compression cylinder from the retracted loading position to the extended firing position while leaving the piston means and the piston rod means in the retracted cocked position during return movement of the cocking means from the extended cocking position to the retracted firing position; and

(15) Safety means operable to prevent inadvertent actuation of the trigger means when cocked and during a cocking cycle and to prevent inadvertent actuation of the air compression cylinder during loading of the gun.

Referring now to the drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment of the inventive features is shown:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a gun;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side elevational view of the operating mechanism of the gun showing the parts in the operational position;

FIG. 3 is another enlarged cross-sectional side elevational view of the operating mechanism of the gun showing the parts in another operational position;

FIG. 4 is another enlarged cross-sectional side elevational view of the operational mechanism of the gun showing the parts in another operational position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial side elevational view, partly in section, of the front sight and barrel assembly of the gun;

FIG. -6 is an enlarged partial plan view of the gun; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the gun.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the gun is a single shot shoulder type firearm comprising a stock portion 10 to which a barrel assembly 12 is attached by suitable fastening means 14. Barrel means are provided by an assembly comprising an outer thin wall shroud member 18 and an inner tubular barrel member 20 having a bore 22 which terminates in a firing chamber 24 in which caseless ammunition 26 is adapted to be hand loaded when the gun is opened. The tubular member 20 is threadably mounted in front housing block means 28 having a generally cylindrical support boss 29 about which the rear of shroud member 18 is mounted.

As may be seen by reference to FIG. 2, ammunition holding means are formed at the rear end of the barrel means to hold the ammunition in a firing position. The rear end of the bore has a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of a nose portion of the projectile. An enlarged chamber is formed at the rear of the bore and has a diameter substantially corresponding to an enlarged central portion of the projectile to support the projectile in the firing position. A shoulder connects the rear end of the bore to the enlarged chamber and has a tapered conliguration generally corresponding to a tapered shoulder portion on the projectile connecting the nose portion and the central portion and engaging the projectile and holding the projectile in the firing position until after ignition of the propellant attached to the rear of the projectile. The shoulder provides obturation means between the ammunition and the barrel in the firing position during delivery of high temperature air for ignition of the propellant.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the forward ends of the tubular member 20 and the shroud member 18 are secured together by a specially designed cap member 30 and front sight sleeve member 32. Shroud 18 is a sheet metal member which is formed into a tube having a brazed longitudinally extending seam located along the bottom. The rear portion of the shroud is secured and held by abutting engagement with the forwardly projecting cylindrical support boss 29 of the housing block 28. The cap 30 has an inside diameter substantially the same as the outside diameter of the inner barrel member on which it is fixedly tted in substantially abutting engagement, forming a circumferentially extending seam, with the shroud member. The front sight sleeve member 32 is lxedly mounted in overlapping relationship around the cap 30 and the shroud 18 to conceal the joint therebetween. The cap has an outside diameter approximately equal to the adjacent outside diameter of shroud 18. In this manner a more massive looking gun is provided in that the barrel appears to be a one-piece tubular member having an outside diameter equal to that of the shroud member, and the shroud member and the tube are xedly secured relative to one another.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, an air compression cylinder 34 is slidably mounted within casing means, in the form of a generally cylindrical guide housing 36, for axial movement between a forwardly extending ring position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a rearwardly retracted loading position, as shown in FIG. 4. As shown best in FIG. 4, the guide housing 36 is formed from one piece of sheet metal material. The front end 37 is formed as an open ended tubular section having a forwardly facing cylindrical opening mounted on a rearwardly extending generally cylindrical support boss 38 integral with front housing block 28. In general, the rest of the guide housing has a cross-sectional conguration generally resembling a keyhole including an upper cylindrical section 39l extending about 300 and terminating in downwardly depending spaced parallel ange portions 40 which define a longitudinally extending guide slot. The compression cylinder 34 is slidably received and guided in the cylindrical section 39 with a downwardly depending flange 42 being slidably received between and guided by anges 40 in the guide slot therebetween. The rear end 43 of the housing is mounted on a spring anchor means, in the form of a housing 44, having a keyhole cross-sectional configuration and supported on a forwardly extending boss on rear housing block means 45. Ear portions 46 of the parallel anges and corresponding ear portions of the spring anchor housing are provided with aligned pivot pin holes in which a pivot pin 48 is mounted to pivotally support scar means and cocking means of the gun in general alignment between the spaced parallel flange portions 40 as viewed in cross-section as will be hereinafter described in detail, A loading slot 49` is formed in the upper portion of the casing adjacent the front Ihousing block 28.

A breech block means 50 forms the front Wall of the cylinder 34 and includes an air delivery passage means 51 and valve means in the form of a check valve assembly 52. A forwardly opening axially extending obturation chamber 53 is formed in the breech means and adapted to be tted around a rearwardly extending obturation protrusion 54 on the rear of the barrel 20 surrounding the tiring chamber 24. A rubber-like cushion disc 55 is mounted at the front of the cylinder 34 and has an air passage 56, FIG. 2, so that the interior of the cylinder 34 communi- .4 cates with the tiring chamber 24 through passages 51, 56. Valve assembly 52 comprises a ball valve 57 loosely retained adjacent a conical seat 58, facing the firing chamber 24, by a retainer ring 59. The ball valve is normally in an open position relative to passage 51 and is adapted to be moved into a closed position on the valve seat 58 after ignition of the propellant of a round of ammunition when high energy propellant generated gases exert sufficient force rearwardly to move the ball valve onto the seat.

A piston means 60, FIG. 2, is reciprocably mounted in the cylinder 34 for movement from a retracted cocked position to an extended firing position and is attached to rearwardly extending piston rod means 61 having a sear engaging notch means 62 at its rearwardmost end adapted to receive scar means 63. A piston driving compression spring means 64 is mounted on an open ended piston rod guide tube means 66 and is abutted at one end against the rear of the piston and at the other end against a spring anchor plate 68 xedly attached to the spring anchor housing 44 and xedly supporting tube 66. The piston is shown in FIG. 2 in the retracted cocked position ready for firing. When lthe sear is disengaged from the piston rod, the piston is rapidly driven forwardly in cylinder 34 by compression spring 64. Air in the cylinder is compressed and its temperature is raised to a temperature sutcient to ignite the propellant when the air is delivered through the passages 51, 56 and the valve assemlbly S2 to the firing chamber 24.

The piston rod is released by rearward pivotal movement of trigger means 70, from a released cocked position to a pulled firing position, about a pivot 72 against the bias of a compression spring means 74 mounted between a sear projection 75 and a trigger projection 76. The trigger means is centrally located in general alignment between the ange portions 40 as viewed in crosssection. A transverse pin means 77 is attached to trigger 70 and extends into an enlarged opening 78 in the scar. When trigger 70 is pulled rearwardly, pin 77 rotates downwardly and causes sear 63 to pivot downwardly about pin 48 so that the projection 82 is cammed away from the piston rod. It may be noted that spring 74 serves the dual function of returning the trigger and sear after the trigger is released.

In order to cock the piston and load another round of ammunition in the firing chamber 24, a cocking means, in the form of a cocking lever 84, is stowed in a cavity 86 along the bottom of the gun. The cocking means is seen to be centrally located and in general alignment between the ange portions 40 as viewed in cross-section. Cooking lever 84 is pivoted at 48 and is movable from a retracted ring position downwardly and rearwardly to an extended cocking position. A drag linkage means 88 is pivoted at 90 to the cocking lever and at 92 to an extension 42 of the breech block 50. When the gun is fired, the piston 60 is moved forwardly in the cylinder 34 and rests adjacent the cushion disc as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, when the cocking lever 84 is pulled rearwardly, the cylinder 34 is moved from the tiring position to the loading position rearwardly in the tubular housing 36 and the piston is engaged by disc 55 and is forced rearwardly against the compression spring 64 from the extended firing position to the retracted cocked position. As shown in FIG. 4, the end of the piston rod engages sear surface 96 and cams the sear downwardly until the notched portion 62 is again engaged by the projection 82 on the sear to lock the piston assembly in the retracted position. Rearward movement of cylinder 34 opens the loading port or slot 49 in the top of casing 36 to enable a new round of ammunition to be inserted into the firing chamber 24.

When the cocking lever 84 is returned to its stowed retracted liring position in the chamber 86, FIG. 2, cylinder 34 is moved from the loading position to the firing position forwardly along casing 36 relative to the piston assembly 60 and obturation chamber 53 is brought into obturating engagement about projection 54. The gun is then ready to be fired again.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a trigger blocking safety mechanism 98 comprises a thumb operable slide 100 having an actuator button 101 slidably mounted in a slot 102 between the stock and the housing. The safety is slidably supported by spaced slots 103, 104 mounted on 105, 106 and is held on the pins by a spring plate 108. The button flange 109 is curved to match the contour of the housing 36 for additional support. A flange portion 110 on the rear of the safety is slidably movable into and out of blocking engagement with a projection 112 on the trigger and an abutment 113 integrally formed on the rear of housing 36. When the flange 110 is aligned with the projection 112, as shown in FIG. 7, rearward pivotal movement of the trigger 70 is precluded. n

Referring again to FIGS. 3-4, a further safety feature comprises cocking safety means provided by a cam surface 114 at the rear of cocking lever 84 and adapted to be located in closely spaced relationship with surface 116 on trigger 70 as the cocking lever 84 is pulled downwardly and rearwardly. In this manner, as shown in FIG. 4, trigger 70 cannot be pulled rearwardly during the cocking cycle and is held in the released position.

Referring again to FIG. 6, another safety feature in the form of a cylinder blocking safety 120 comprises a latch arm 121 pivotally mounted about an axis 122 for pivotal movement into and out of retaining engagement with the front of compression cylinder 34. A spring element 124 on one end of the arm biases a projection 126 inwardly on the other end of the arm through an opening 128 in the housing 36 adjacent the rear of loading port 49. After the compression cylinder 34 has moved rearwardly past the projection 126 during a cooking cycle, the projection 126 is moved inwardly through the opening 128 in front of the cylinder and will prevent the cylinder from being inadvertently returned to the forward position While a loading operation is taking place. Thus, before the cocking lever 84 can be returned to the stowed position and the cylinder 34 returned to the ring position, the safety projection 126 must be pivoted out of the path of movement of the cylinder 34.

The various inventive principles have been hereinbefore disclosed by reference to an illustrative embodiment and may be variously otherwise embodied, arranged, and incorporated in similar or alternative gun structures. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the appended claims 'be construed to include alternative arrangements and embodiments except so far as limited by the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. A single shot type shoulder arm for firing ammunition of the type comprising a projectile portion and a propellant portion ignitable by surface contact with high temperature air, and comprising:

barrel means having a bore through which the projectile is fired from ignition of the propellant;

ammunition holding means at the rear of said barrel means to hold the ammunition in a firing position,

an elongated guide housing extending rearwardly from said barrel means, said guide housing having a generally cylindrical portion and depending spaced flange portions defining a guide slot extending substantially longitudinally therealong,

a loading slot formed in said guide housing and providing access to said ammunition holding means to insert or remove ammunition,

an air compression cylinder having an outside diameter substantially corresponding to the inside diameter of said guide housing and being slidably mounted in said guide housing for reciprocable movement between a firing position adjacent the rear end of said barrel means and covering said loading slot and a loading position spaced rearwardly from the rear end of said barrel means and rearwardly of and opening said loading slot;

breech means attached to the front of said aircompression cylinder and being movable therewith and connecting said barrel means to said air compression cylinder, and being operative in the firing position to define a firing chamber surrounding the propellant, air delivery passage means in said breech means connecting said firing chamber to said air compression cylinder, valve means in said passage means to control ow between said firing chamber and said air compression cylinder;

piston means slidably mounted in said air compression cylinder for reciprocable movement between a retracted cocked position spaced rearwardly of said breach means to define a variable volume air chamber and an extended firing position located adjacent said breech means,

piston rod means attached to said piston means and exn tending rearwardly therefrom and being reciprocable therewith,

sear receiving notch means on said piston rod means for releasably holding said rod means and said piston means in the retracted cocked position,

piston driving spring means in abutting engagement with said piston means and being compressible as said piston rneans and said rod means are moved to the retracted cocked position and being effective in the retracted cocked position to drive said piston means and said rod means to the extended firing position;

seat means movable between a latched position and an unlatched position relative to said rod means and being located between said flange portions and having a projection extending into said cylindrical portion and engageable with said notched portion of said rod means to releasably hold the rod means and the piston means in the retracted cocked position,

sear pivot means extending between said flange portions and pivotally suporting said sear -means for movement between said flange portions into and out of engagement with said rod means in said cylindrical portion,

trigger means mounted between said flange portions and operatively connected to said sear means for causing movement of said sear means between the latched position and the unlatched position,

trigger pivot means mounted between said flange portions and pivotally supporting said trigger means, cooking means movable from a retracted firing position to an extended cocking position and back to the retracted firing position; and

linkage means pivotally connecting said cocking means to said air compression cylinder rearwardly of the front thereof between said flange portions through said guide slot to move said air compression cylinder from the firing position to the loading position and effective by engagement of said air compression cylinder with said piston means to move said piston means and said piston rod means from the extended firing position to the retracted cocked position during movement of said cocking -means from the retracted firing position to the extended cocking position, said linkage means being effective to move said air compression cylinder from said retracted loading position to said extended firing position while leaving said piston means and said piston rod means in the retracted cocked position during return movement of said cocking means from the extended cocking position to the retracted firing position.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 and having:

a front housing block means supporting said barrel means,

a rear housing block means spaced rearwardly from said front housing means and defining an operating mechanism space therebetween;

said elongated guide housing extending between and attached to said front housing block means and said rear housing block means, said guide housing having a generally keyhole cross-sectional configuration formed by a generally cylindrical upper portion and spaced downwardly extending flange portions defining a guide slot extending substantially longitudinally between said front housing block means and said rear housing block means,

generally cylindrical support bosses formed on said front and rear housing block means and matingly telescopically receiving the ends of said guide houslng,

said loading slot being formed in said guide housing adjacent said front housing block means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 and having:

guide tube means receiving said piston rod means and guiding said piston rod means during movement between the retracted cocked position and the extended firing position;

anchor means for said tube means extending forwardly of said rear housing means and fixedly supporting said tube means relative to said rod means;

said piston driving spring means being mounted on said tube means in abutting engagement with said piston means at one end and with said `anchor means at the other end and being compressible therebetween.

4. The invention as delined in claimi 1 and having:

a pin pivotally supporting said sear means for movement between a latching position in holding engagement with said rod means holding said piston means and said rod means in the retracted cocked position and an unlatched position permitting movement of said piston means and said rod means from the retracted cocked position to the extended firing position;

pin means pivotally supporting said trigger means for movement between a released cocked position and a pulled firing position,

a pin and slot connection between said trigger means and said sear means causing pivotal rearward movement of said sear means from the latched position to the unlatched position upon rearward pivotal movement of said trigger means from the release'd cocked position to the pulled firing position,

said pin and slot connection being arranged to permit movement of said sear means relative to said trigger means as said piston rod means is moved from said extended firing position to said cocked retracted position to permit said sear means to be cammed away from said piston rod means to permit said sear means to enter said notch,

spring means mounted between said sear means and said cam means and biasing said sear means toward the latching position and said trigger means toward the released cocked position and permitting camming movement of said sear means `away from said rod means relative to said trigger means.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 and having cocking safety means effective between said cocking means and said trigger means to prevent movement of said trigger means from the released cocked position to the pulled firing position during the cocking cycle.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 and wherein said cocking safety means comprises:

an abutment surface on said cocking means movable into restraining relationship with said trigger means during movement of said cocking means to and from said firing position, and

an abutment surface on said trigger means engageable with said abutment surface on said cocking means during movement of said cocking means to and from said firing position and preventing movement of said trigger means.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1 and having trigger safety means effective to prevent movement of said trigger means from the released cocked position to the pulled firing position and comprising:

a slide bar moveable between a retracted firing position and an extended safety position,

abutment means on said slide bar engageable with said trigger means in the extended safety position to prevent movement of said trigger means from the released position to the firing position,

a spring plate holding said slide bar in the retracted firing position and the extended safety position until manually actuated,

a manual actuation button,

and a -liange supporting said manual actuation button on said slide bar and said flange extending adjacent said guide housing and having a curved configuration substantially corresponding to the curvature of said guide housing.

8. The invention as defined in claim 1 and said barrel means comprising:

an inner barrel member having said bore formed therein,

an outer shroud member made of sheet material and having a longitudinal seam,

a cap member in the form of .a sleeve having substantially Vthe same outside diameter as the front end' of said shroud mem-ber and an inside diameter substantially the same as the outside diameter of said inner barrel member,

said cap being mounted on said inner barrel member in substantially abutting engagement and forming a circumferentially extending seam with said shroud member, and

a front sight sleeve mounted over said shroud and said cap member and covering said circumferentially extending seam and the front end of said longitudinally extending seam to give the appearance of a one-piece barrel having an outer diameter equal to the outer diameter of said shroud member.

9. A single shot shoulder type firearm for firing ammunition o f the type comprising a projectile portion and a propellant portion ignitable by surface contact with high temperature air, and comprising:

barrel means having a bore through which the. projectile is red after ignition of the propellant;

ammunition holding means formed at the rear end of said barrel means to hold the ammunition in a firing position, the rear end of said bore having a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter nose portion of the projectile;

an enlarged chamber formed at the rear end of said bore and having a diameter substantially corresponding to an enlarged central portion of said projectile to support said projectile in a firing position,

a shoulder connecting the rear end of said bore to said enlarged chamber and having a configuration generally corresponding to the configuration of a shoulder portion on said projectile connecting said nose portion and said central portion and adapted to engage. the projectile and hold the projectile in the firing position until after ignition of the propellant,

said shoulder providing obturation means between the ammunition and the barrel means in the firing position during delivery of high temperature air for ignition of the propellant,

a front housing block means supporting said barrel means, the rear portion of said barrel means extending rearwardly beyond said front housing means and providing an obturation plug extending rearwardly from said front housing means,

a rear housing block means spaced rearwardly from said front housing means and defining an operating mechanism space therebetween,

an elongated guide housing extending between and attached to said front housing block means and said rear housing block means, said guide housing having a generally keyhole cross-sectional configuration formed by a generally cylindrical upper portion and spaced downwardly extending ilange potrions defining a slot extending substantially longitudinally between said front housing block means and said rear housing block means,

generally cylindrical support bosses for-med on said front and rear housing block means and matingly telescopically receiving the ends of said guide houslng:

a loading slot formed in said guide housing adjacent said front housing block means and providing access to said ammunition holding means to insert or remove ammunition, an-d an air compression cylinder having an outside diameter substantially corresponding to the inside diameter of said guide housing and being slidably mounted in said guide housing for reciprocable movement between a ring position adjacent the rear end of said barrel means and covering said loading slot and a loading position spaced rearwardly from the rear end of said 'barrel means and rearwardly of and opening said loading slot.

10. The invention as deiined in claim 9 and having:

air delivery passage means in said breech means connecting said ring chamber to said air compression cylinder, valve means in said passage means to control ilow between said firing chamber and said air compression cylinder;

piston means slidably mounted in said air compression cylinder for reciprocable movement between a retracted cocked position spaced rearwardly of said breech means to define a variable volume air chamber and an extended firing position located adjacent said breech means,

piston rod means attached to said piston means and extending rearwardly therefrom and reciprocable therewith,

guide tube means receiving said piston rod -means and guiding said piston rod means during movement between the retracted cocked position and the extended iiring position; and

anchor means Ifor said tube means attached to said rear housing block means and extending forwardly therefrom and xedly supporting said tube means relative to said rod means.

11. The invention as defined in claim 10 and having:

piston driving spring means mounted on said tube means in abutting engagement with said piston means at one end and with said anchor means at the other end and being compressible therebetween as said piston means and said rod means are moved to the retracted cocked position and being elective in the retracted cocked position to drive said piston means and said rod means to the extended tiring position.

12. The invention as defined in claim 11 and having:

sear receiving notch means on said piston rod means for releasably holding said rod means and said piston means in the retracted cocked position,

sear means having a projection engageable with said notched portion of said rod means to releasably hold the rod means and the piston means in the retracted cocked position,

a pin pivotally supporting said sear means for movement between a latching position in holding engagement with said rod means holding said piston means and said rod means in the retracted cocked position and an unlatched position permitting movement of said piston means and said rod means from the retracted cocked position to the extended tiring position;

trigger means operatively connected to said sear means for causing movement of said sear means between the latched position and the unlatched position,

pin means pivotally supporting said trigger means for movement between a released cocked position and a pulled firing position,

a pin and slot connection between said trigger means and said sear means causing pivotal rearward movement of said sear means from the latched position to the unlatched position upon rearward pivotal movement of said trigger means from the released cocked position to the pulled tiring position,

said pin and slot connection being arranged to permit movement of said sear means relative to said trigger means as said piston rod means is moved from said extended tiring position to said cocked retracted position to permit said sear -means to be cammed away from said piston rod means to permit said sear means to enter said notch, and

spring means mounted between said sear means and said cam means and biasing said sear means toward the latching position and said trigger means toward the released cocked position and permitting camming movement of said sear means away -rom said rod means relative to said trigger means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,116,675 11/1914 Cook 124-15 2,172,036 9/1939 Schmeisser s- 124--15 3,008,258 11/1961 Johnson.

3,064,381 11/ 1962 Vilbajo 42-1 3,302,319 2/1967 Rosselet 89-7 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,321,746 2/ 1963 France.

5,317 1826 Great Britain.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

